Just because you can reach obscenely high speeds on the Autobahn doesn’t mean you should, according to the German Transport Ministry, which has criticized a Czech millionaire who recently did just that.
The ministry said in a statement received by the Associated Press that it “rejects any behavior in road traffic that leads or can lead to endangering road users.” The comments are a reaction to a video recently published by Radim Passer, the owner of a Bugatti Chiron who tried to reach the car’s top speed on the Autobahn.
“All road users must abide by the rules of the road traffic regulations,” the ministry wrote. Just because sections of the highway don’t have a posted speed limit doesn’t mean you can go as fast as you want, the government says.
Read More: Bugatti Chiron Owner Goes Flat Out On The Autobahn, Hits 257 MPH (414 km/h)
Videos published in November and January show the driver reaching a speed of 259 mph (417 km/h), just 2 mph (3 km/h) short of the car’s electronically limited top speed. In the video description, the aptly named Passer said that safety was a priority during the run that was made in July and that he chose a stretch of road that was straight for 6 miles (10 km), offered plenty of visibility, and was three lanes wide.
The German transport ministry, though, points to legislation that does prohibit driving in a dangerous manner even on the Autobahn. “Anyone participating in traffic must behave in such a way that no other person is harmed, endangered or obstructed or inconvenienced more than is unavoidable under the circumstances,” a clause in the highway code stipulates.
The law also requires drivers to “only drive so fast that the vehicle is constantly under control.”
The high-speed run was accomplished as Germans are increasingly debating about adding speed limits to the Autobahn‘s unlimited sections. Proposed mostly as an environmental measure to prevent cars from consuming the high amounts of fuel that are required for high-speed driving, the rules would limit the Autobahn to 80 mph (130 km/h).
Proposed by the Green Party during the last election, it’s unclear how successful it will be in making that change, though it might be helped along if drivers are seen to be abusing the highway’s rules.